Air traffic controllers (referred to herein, interchangeably as “controllers” or “tower controllers”) in an Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) are responsible for managing the operation of runways at airports. Controllers check the status of runways and clear aircraft and other vehicles to use the runway. Controllers rely on visual checks to determine whether a runway is operational/free/in-use, before clearing an aircraft to use the runway. For example, when a runway is closed for an extended period of time, airport maintenance personnel will often physically place visual indicators, such as barrels or other warning signs on the runway to alert control tower personnel not to clear any aircraft to use the runway. However, for some runway closures, such as short-term closures, maintenance personnel will not place visual indicators on the runway, in which case the controllers must rely on their memory (if it was even communicated to them that a runway is closed) to determine whether or not a runway is open or closed.
In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical or similar elements. Additionally, generally, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears.